For the past three years, Samir Becic has been tirelessly advocating for Apple to include a Bosnian language keyboard on their devices. Despite being a loyal Apple customer since 2009, Samir felt compelled to switch to an android device, which supports a Bosnian-language keyboard. In a recent LinkedIn post, he expressed his frustration: “For the last three years, I have continuously asked Apple to stop discriminating against the Bosnian language. As a result, I had to switch from my iPhone (a loyal customer since 2009) to a brand that supports a Bosnian-language keyboard, in this case, Samsung Electronics Z Flip.”
Samir’s campaign highlights a significant issue for the Bosnian community, both in the United States and globally. With over 500,000 Bosnian-Americans, the lack of a dedicated Bosnian keyboard on Apple devices is seen as a form of exclusion, especially when neighboring languages like Croatian and Serbian have their own keyboards.
In his second open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Samir did not hold back his disappointment and frustration. He wrote: “Apple is a global company that prides itself on its diversity and inclusion. But it seems there’s one group Apple is clearly discriminating against: Bosnians. While seemingly benign, the lack of a Bosnian keyboard is triggering for some people in the Balkan region (and the rest of the world, including 500,000 Bosnian-Americans) who feel excluded from representation, especially considering the neighboring countries each have dedicated keyboards. The Serbian language even includes two: one in Cyrillic and one in Latin script.”
Despite these efforts, the Bosnian language keyboard remains unavailable on Apple devices. This is particularly disappointing because, of the hundreds of language keyboards available for iPhone users, it doesn’t make any sense why the Bosnian language, widely spoken by millions of native speakers worldwide, would not have a designated keyboard.
Samir continues to advocate for this change, urging Apple to recognize the importance of inclusivity and representation for all languages. The lack of action from Apple is not just a minor oversight; it is a glaring omission that affects the daily lives of Bosnian speakers who feel marginalized and excluded.
Over the years, Samir has written to Apple multiple times, documenting his efforts and the responses from Apple. Here are some key articles:
